Dam and method of constructing same.



No. 764,429. PATBNTED JULY 5 1904. l

` J. A. GO'PPLE.

DAMAND METHOD 0F GONSTRUCTING SAME.

APPLIGAATIDN YILED APB.. 25, 1903.

@Hbf/wap) JAMES A. COPPLE, OF

Patented July 5, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

LEGOMPTON, KANSAS.

DAM AND METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING SAME.

SPECIFICATION forming' part of Letters Patent N0. 764,429, dated July`5, 1904.

Application filed April 25, 1903.

To all, whom 2215` may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES A. COPPLE, a citizen of the United States,residing atLeconpton, in the county of Douglas and State of Kan-` sas,have invented` new andluseful I mprovements in Dams and Methods ofConstructing Same, of which the following is a specification.

My invention. relates to new and useful improvements in dams and methodof constructing same; and its object is to provide a darn of thischaracter which may be quickly constructed without the use ofcoifer-dams.

A further object of the invention is to provide a series of columnsadapted to be firmly anchored to the bed of the body of water in whichthe dam is located, said columns being spaced apart at suitableintervals.

Another object is to arrange sheathing upon the inner surfaces of .andconnecting the columns forclosing the spaces between and bracing saidcolumns.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists inproviding' a series of columns, preferably arranged in a curve,

and each of which is constructed by first driving piles into the bottomof the body of water and inclosing the same in a preferably sheet-metalcasing, which is subsequently filled with concrete, cement, or othersuitable material. The upstream sides of these columns are then securedto sheet-metal sheathing which serves to close the spaces between thecolumns and to brace said columns against lateral tilting. A head stripor cap is also arranged upon the columns and is provided with a seriesof apertures located at points between said columns, whereby water willbe free to flow downward in front of the sheathing at points between thecolumns, and thereby prevent the formation of a vacuum.

The invention also consists in providing novel means for preventing thebed of the body of water from being washed away at points in front ofthe dam.

Theiinvention also consists in the further novel construction andcombination of parts hereinafter more fully described and claimed andillustrated in the accompanying draw- 'against lateral tilting.

Serial No. 154,335. (No model.)

ings, showing the preferred form of my invention, and in which- Figure 1is a plan view of adam constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig.2 is an elevation thereof from the downstream side; and Fig. 3 isanenlarged section through the dam, one of the sheathing-plates being'shown partly in elevation.

Referring to the figures by numerals of reference,'1 l are piles driveninto the bed of the body of water in which the dam is located, and thesepiles are arranged in series, each of which is inclosed by a cylindricalsheet-metal casing 2, the lower end of which is forced into the bed.Thiscasing is filled with'concrete, cement, or other suitablenon-resilient material 3 to form a solid column, and the columns formedin this manner are preferably arrangcd in a curve, as illustrated inFig. l, in order to produce an arched dam. Sheet-metal sheathing 4 issecured to the upstream faces of the columns by means of rivets A,bolts, or any other suitable devices, and this sheathing serves to closethe spaces between the columns and brace said columns formed in anysuitable manner, is located at the upstream side of the dam and extendsto the top thereof, and a cap 6, preferably formed -of sheet-metalplates, is secured in any suitable manner to the tops of the columns,and these portions of the cap, which extend over the spaces 7, formedbetween the columns, are recessed, as shown at 8, and provided withapertures 9, whereby water is permitted to flow downward into the spaces7. Where the water-bed is sandy, 1 can, if desired, prevent the samefrom being' washed away at the downstream side of the dam by coveringthe same with wire-netting 11 and covering said netting with stones l0.Another wire-netting' 112L is secured to the netting ll and is placedover the stones 10 and held in position thereon by means of additionalstones l2. It will be seen that these stones will be bound firmlytogether by the netting Aand will receive the impact of the water andprevent sand thereunder from beingl washed away.

It will be understood that when a large An inclined Hoor 5,`

body of water iiows over the dam any air which may be located betweenthe columns and in front of the sheathing 4 will be carried outward bythe suction created, and ordinarily vacuums would thus be formed betweenthe columns which would tend to weaken the dam and perhaps cause itscollapse. By forming apertures in the cap 6 water is permitted to flowdown into the spaces formed between the columns, and the formation ofthese vacuums is thus prevented. The sheathing 4, in addition to itsfunction as y a brace for the column, prevents the passage between thecolumns of any water which may leak through the inclined floor 5.

A dam of the construction shown and described in this application isextremely simple and inexpensive and can be quickly placedhin a desiredposition within a body of water without the use of coffer-dams. It isespecially adapted for use in the development of water-power, impoundingwater for irrigating purposes and dikes, levees, &c.

In the foregoing description I have shown the preferred form of myinvention; but I do not limit myself thereto, as I am aware thatmodifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit orsacriticing any of the advantages thereof, and I therefore reserve theright to make such changes as fairly fall within the scope of myinvention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new isl. Theherein-described method of constructing dams consisting in drivingseries of piles, inclosing each series by a casing, filling the casingwith concrete or other non-resilientl material and "connecting theupstream faces of the casings by a sheathing.

2. The herein described method of constructing dams consisting indriving series of piles into the bed of a body of water, inclosing eachseries of piles with a cylindrical casing, lling said casing with solidmaterial, connecting the upstream faces of the casings with sheathing,and placing a cap upon and across the spaces formed between the casings,said cap having apertures to permit water to iiow into the spacesbetween the casings.

3. The hereindescribed method of constructing dams consisting in drivingseries of piles into the bed of a body of water at intervals, inclosingeach series of piles in a hollow metallic casing, filling said casingwith solid material, connecting the upstream faces of the casing withsheathing, placing a cap upon and across the spaces between the casings,said cap having apertures for permitting water to flow downward into thesaid spaces, and placing a stone bed at the downstream side of thecasings and binding the stones of said bed together with netting.

4. Ina dam, the combination with series of piles; of a casing inclosingand extending upward from each series of piles, solid material withineach casing, whereby a solid column is formed, sheathing connected tothe upstream faces of the casings, a cap extending over the upper endsof the casings, and means for admitting water to the spaces formedbetween the casings to prevent the formation of a vacuum.

5. In a dam, the combination with series of piles; ofa cylindricalmetallic casing upon each series of piles, a solid. material within eachof said casings, whereby a solid column is formed, sheathing connectingthe upstream faces of the casings to prevent the passage of watertherebetween, a cap extending over the upper ends of the casings andhaving apertures therein at points between the casings, a stone bed atthe downstream side of the casings, and netting for binding said stones.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES A. COPPLE.

